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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29786952">A Chat Can Land On Its Feet</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Givethemtriumphnow/pseuds/Givethemtriumphnow'>Givethemtriumphnow</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Miraculous Ladybug</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>"Ladybug" Episode AU, AU, Adrien Salt Prompts (Tumblr), Adrien salt, Akuma Have Always Been Deadly, Alya sugar, Amok / Sentimonster, Badass Alya Césaire, Blood and Injury, Butterfly!Marinette, Champion! Alya Cesaire, Child Neglect, Emotional Abuse, Gabriel Agreste's A+ Parenting, Gen, I am of the OP of the prompt too and couldn't NOT write for it after I hit submit, Implied/Referenced Sexual Harassment, Incel Behavior, Marinette deserves better, OP!Marinette, Realistic Violence, Temporary Character Death, The Kwami are Slaves, Wielding multiple Miraculous, adrien deserves better, one-sided identity reveal</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-03-01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-03-01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-16 03:00:35</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>13,701</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29786952</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Givethemtriumphnow/pseuds/Givethemtriumphnow</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>AU for the "Ladybug" episode. </p><p>What if Marinette took the once in the lifetime opportunity to take Hawkmoth's Miraculous when it was presented to her, instead of wasting her time catching Adrien? </p><p>Cats can land on their feet, after all.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>28</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>289</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>A Chat Can Land On Its Feet</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"Release him!" Marinette commanded, one hand holding tight to her yoyo that held Mayura captive, the other hand poised above Mayura's Peacock Miraculous, ready to make a move.</p><p>In one of <em>two</em> directions.</p><p>If need be, she could <em>obviously</em> take Mayura's Miraculous, and remove her from the fight.</p><p>But that was only <em>one </em>road she could take.</p><p>The other was a gamble; but an important one.</p><p>Hawkmoth clearly cared deeply for Mayura.</p><p>He held one-half of his heart's desire within his grasp; all he would have to do, as he had said, was wait for five minutes, and he would have the Ring of the Black Cat in his hands.</p><p>Hawkmoth was cunning, and had patience; he had battled them indirectly for months now, ever locked in a stalemate; but the question was, when confronted with his prize <em>and</em> his partner held captive, just how patient <em>was </em>he under pressure? Would he go for his prize, and have untold destruction at his fingertips and lose a valuable ally? Or would he maintain the status quo, and sacrifice his chance at the Ring if it meant he could keep his partner in play?</p><p>"Release <em>her!" </em>Hawkmoth snarled, tightening his grip on Chat Noir's wrist, just out of range of the Cataclysm held captive in her partner's palm. Chat Noir's eyes, already wide in fear, widened further, looking frantic.</p><p>One part of Marinette's mind idly noticed that Chat Noir's left hand was completely free, yet he made no move to try to escape or attack with his claws, letting it hang limp at his side.</p><p>Was he hurt, or was he simply frozen in fear?</p><p>"Don't mind me." Mayura said casually, and Marinette could practically imagine the smirk decorating Mayura's face. Clearly, Mayura had no problem waiting captive for five minutes. <em>Mayura</em> was willing to play the long game, but was Hawkmoth?</p><p>Chat Noir growled lowly at Mayura's goading, and burst out, "<em>Don't listen to him!</em>"</p><p>Marinette narrowed her eyes, once again remembering Chat Noir's baton hurtling towards her head at full speed, fast and hard enough to break someone's skull open.</p><p>He had attacked her twice today, and been mesmerized by his own living fantasy version of herself, even when confronted by her ire; and now he had the gall to call <em>her </em>gullible? She wanted to growl at the slight, but kept her composure.</p><p>The second path was becoming more unlikely as the seconds whiled by, but if she could just give it a minute more⏤</p><p>
  <em>There!</em>
</p><p>Apparently, Hawkmoth thought she put more stock in Chat Noir's words than she really did.</p><p>Hawkmoth's body twisted, and with his full strength, he threw Chat Noir bodily off of the Arc de Triomphe.</p><p>Marinette smiled a grim, hidden smile, and tossed the captive Mayura over her own shoulder at a calculated distance, retracted her yoyo's length, and charged forward to meet Hawkmoth head-on as he rushed to catch his partner.</p><p>Time slowed down.</p><p>The distance between the two of them closed; Hawkmoth, the taller man, was looming over her, glaring at her as he passed a hairsbreadth away, and, as his eyes moved away from her own, and switched to track Mayura's ungraceful arc through the air, clearly intent on sacrificing his chance at Marinette's earrings, more concerned with rescuing his partner and keeping the status quo⏤</p><p>Marinette made her move.</p><p>As Hawkmoth tensed his body, preparing to leap⏤</p><p>As his feet left the ground, as his body rose with the power of his flight⏤</p><p>Marinette did a leap of her own, matching his height.</p><p>Her hand reached out⏤</p><p>And ripped the Butterfly Miraculous off of Hawkmoth's suit as his momentum carried him higher and further into the air.</p><p>Skidding to a halt a short distance away, Marinette twisted on a dime, craning her neck, wanting to see who she had been fighting all these months⏤</p><p>And Hawkmoth vanished in a burst of white and purple light, the transformation spiraling up from his feet, revealing white shoes⏤</p><p>Then crimson red pants⏤</p><p>Then a white suit jacket⏤</p><p>Then blond hair going grey⏤</p><p>Then Hawkmoth⏤ Hawkmoth no more, now only <em>Gabriel Agreste</em>⏤ wingless and struck down by the sun for his arrogance⏤ reached the zenith of his leap and began to <em>fall</em>, plummeting out of sight past the battlements, to his certain death.</p><p>Nooroo appeared at her hand where she clutched the Butterfly Miraculous; the little kwami looked pale and confused. Blinking big violet eyes up at her, Nooroo fluttered in the air, unsteady for a moment.</p><p>"Ladybug?" The rescued kwami questioned, a bit of hope appearing on her face with a gasp, "Have you finally defeated my Master?"</p><p>Marinette flashed the rescued kwami a quick smile, "Yes, Nooroo, and I'm sorry, but the battle is not over yet; I need your help, and I need to keep <em>you </em>safe." Fastening the Butterfly Miraculous to the base of her throat, Marinette held out one hand to the eager kwami⏤</p><p>"Tikki, Nooroo, Unify!"</p><p>And in a flash of violet and white light, <em>Ladybug</em> was no more⏤</p><p>And in her place stood⏤</p><p>-Well…</p><p>...Marinette wasn't sure what she would call herself in this new form.</p><p>…. She honestly hadn't thought that path number two would open itself up to her.</p><p>...Oh well, names could come later.</p><p>There was a muffled thud and a crunch from the direction Gabriel Agreste had fallen.</p><p>Mayura screamed something unintelligible, something horrified.</p><p>Marinette glanced down to make sure any changes weren't going to hamper her movement, but her suit hadn't changed terribly much; the red of the suit was now solid instead of spotted and a black belt had appeared at her waist, with a loop containing her new weapon, a short staff that could almost be a cane, decorated with a purple crystal at the top.</p><p>Retrieving her new weapon and hefting it in her hand, Marinette examined the elbow-length black gloves she had gained, each adorned with a single red stripe going up her arm, and then the knee-high red boots that had appeared on her feet, edged in black, glinting metallically like dark iron in the sunlight. She smiled, knowing they would add an extra <em>kick</em> to her punches in hand-to-hand combat.</p><p>A weight on her back let her know a cape of some kind had appeared as well, and the shape of her mask felt like it had changed, but overall, nothing too major had been altered; when Unifying two Miraculous, the first one equipped would generally be the major influence on the suit, thus, she still looked mostly like Ladybug, she now had a few new Butterfly alterations.</p><p>Unslinging her yoyo from the opposite side of her belt, Marinette charged once more across the roof, then dove headfirst in the direction of Mayura's frantic screams.</p><p>As she fell past the battlements and rushed towards the ground, Marinette effortlessly flipped herself upright to land on her feet, and wondered what was taking Chat Noir so long.</p><p>She found herself scowling at the thought of her 'partner', even as she caught sight of what made Mayura keen with such heartbreak.</p><p>Gabriel Agreste was sprawled across the pavement below, blood staining his once-white shirt so that it matched his trousers, more crimson seeping into the brickwork underneath him like some macabre painting.</p><p>Mayura was weeping next to him, sitting upright with Gabriel's broken head in her lap, blood painting his golden hair a gruesome scarlet, dripping down and staining Mayura's violet leggings and coat.</p><p>Mayura was still wailing when Marinette landed beside the Arc De Triomphe, and Marinette stepped back until she was hidden in its shadow, content to wait a moment and gather some extra strength before confronting Mayura, since Chat Noir was apparently going to be a no-show.</p><p>Mayura was distraught, she was hysterical⏤ but Marinette knew all too well how despair could so quickly turn into a flash fire of <em>rage</em>.</p><p>A distraught villain was a dangerous villain, especially because Mayura would now be fighting with nothing to lose, and everything to gain.</p><p>Readying her yoyo to restrain Mayura if need be, Marinette raised the cane to her lips and blew lightly across the purple crystal situated on the top.</p><p>The gem immediately glowed softly, waiting.</p><p>"Fly to me, my little Tenshi." Marinette intoned softly, her voice but a whisper on the wind, like the flutter of butterfly's wings.</p><p>The soft glow brightened at her command, and in a swirl of violet light, a glowing, lavender butterfly appeared above the crystal. Flapping its crystal wings, the Tenshi circled around her head, awaiting her command.</p><p>Casting her gaze about while Mayura had yet to notice her presence, Marinette spotted an out-of-breath Alya a block away, bent over and clutching her knees as she fought to regain her breath⏤ no doubt Alya had sprinted the entire way here from the school when she heard about the latest battle.</p><p>Smiling in affection, all thoughts of Chat Noir's betrayal erased from her mind for the moment, Marinette extended her hand and whispered to her butterfly, "Fly away, my little Tenshi, and strengthen her courageous heart!"</p><p>Her Tenshi flew off immediately, making a beeline with surprising speed for Alya, reaching her within seconds⏤</p><p>Marinette sensed it when her Tenshi sank into Alya's glasses, turning them white.</p><p>"<em>Hawkmoth! Get out of my head! I won't help you hurt Ladybug!" </em>Alya's voice was projected into Marinette's mind almost within an instant, and Marinette smiled broadly at her friend's fiery spirit.</p><p>"<strong>Alya Césaire, my friend, be calm, for I am not Hawkmoth, I am Ladybug, using the power of the Butterfly Miraculous." </strong>Marinette intoned, and saw a pink butterfly mask appear over Alya's face, still a distance away. "<strong>Hawkmoth has been defeated, and I have captured his Miraculous, but I still need your help to capture Mayura, the Peacock, to take her Miraculous as well. Will you help me subdue her? In return, I shall grant you the power of courageous fire, and a song to mesmerize your enemies."</strong></p><p>Marinette felt Alya's distrust and anger clear across the square, echoing through her mind like ripples across a pond.</p><p>"<em>And how do I know this isn't a trap!?" </em>Alya demanded, "<em>You might have just swapped Miraculouses with your minion, Mayura, and it could be Mayura I'm speaking to right now!" </em>A stomp echoed across Marinette's mind and the square, reverberating loudly with the emotion behind it.</p><p>"<strong>Because, Rena Rouge, I know who you are, and I have placed my fate in your hands more than once before. Will you trust me, as I trusted you with Trixx after the battle against the Sapotis?"</strong></p><p>Marinette felt Alya's shock in her mind, and also felt as it mellowed out into pleasant surprise, followed swiftly by confidence, with a hint of deviousness hidden within.</p><p>A broader smile nudged the corners of her lips as Marinette watched Alya stand up straighter across the square. Marinette wondered what Alya's plan was if things went south. She could feel the squashed deviousness in her friend's emotions, and knew Alya was up to something in case this was a trap.</p><p>There was a moment of silence across their bond, and Marinette closed her mind off a bit more, so she wouldn't be overwhelmed by the tumultuous emotions raging all over Paris⏤ she didn't need the dark, dripping blue of Mayura's denial and despair to weigh her shoulders down, nor the green envy that was emanating from what she could only assume was Chat Noir, on the other side of the Arc still.</p><p>She didn't need the yellow shock nor the red anger and green frustration that had consumed much of Paris, no doubt from the citizens who had watched Chat Noir attack her over an illusion on live television.</p><p><em>What is Chat Noir waiting for? Doesn't he realize the battle isn't over yet? He's not in pain; he has jumped from much greater heights, and our suits make up nearly invulnerable besides, so </em>why <em>is he just sitting there?!</em></p><p>Were there still film crews nearby? Did all of Paris witness Gabriel Agreste falling to his death? Did all of Paris now know that Gabriel Agreste was Hawkmoth?</p><p>Was all of Paris watching now, as Chat Noir left her to fight on her own, after he himself had attacked her?</p><p>Was all of Paris watching as Chat Noir preferred to sit around and mope instead of finishing a fight with Hawkmoth?</p><p>"<em>Okay, I accept.</em>" Alya responded in Marinette's mind, once again distracting her from her grievance with Chat Noir.</p><p>Marinette tilted her head slightly as she watched Mayura shift, Mayura's keens dying down in volume as the woman sobbed brokenly, clutching at Gabriel's now fully crimson suit, but making no move to flee as she gasped and cried on the bloody sidewalk.</p><p>"<strong>You will help me subdue Mayura and take her Miraculous, in exchange for the powers of courageous fire and mesmerizing song?"</strong></p><p>"<strong>Yes, Ladybug." </strong>Alya said⏤</p><p>And the deal was brokered.</p><p>A sensation like wings at her back ruffled Marinette's hair, then she felt a power draining from her, flowing through her bond to Alya, and strengthening her friend⏤ <em>transforming</em> her.</p><p>White light erupted from the ground in a burst of white butterflies at Alya's feet, boiling upwards and exploding outwards in a shower of wings⏤</p><p>And out stepped <em>Kitsune Blanc.</em></p><p>Kitsune Blanc wielded a long, golden flute in her hands as she emerged from the butterflies, twirling it aloft so it glinted brightly in the sun and absorbed its rays. Her apparel resembled a looser, more formal version of Rena Rouge's outfit, but done all in purest white, ebony black, and brilliant gold that glinted fiery orange beneath the bright sunlight.</p><p>Instead of a tail cape of fabric, Kitsune Blanc now sported nine white tails tipped with gold arrayed behind her, only a single one part of her physical form, while the other eight floated in a slow rotation around it.</p><p>Her hair was now burnished gold ending in silver, and the fox ears she usually sported had gained twins, replacing her human ears entirely, making her face shape even more alien, to frame the lavender mask over her violet eyes⏤ the only part of her that was not white, gold, or black.</p><p>"<em>I, I still feel like I'm me!" </em>Alya⏤ <em>Kitsune Blanc</em>⏤ thought, projecting her surprised thoughts into Marinette's head once more.</p><p>Marinette smiled, and pushed the sensation through their bond for Kitsune Blanc to feel. "<em>Of course. This is the </em>true <em>power of the Butterfly Miraculous, not the corrupted, twisted version Hawkmoth used. Your will is your own, and you shall keep all of your memories of your time as a Champion." </em>Marinette said, and cast her senses out once more, for just a moment, just to confirm... "<em>Chat Noir is out of commission, so we're going to have to take Mayura on ourselves. I will try to talk to her first, persuade her to give up her Miraculous first, but if she fights, and I think she will, I'll need you to be my backup."</em></p><p>Kitsune Blanc's agreement and determination sang through the bond, and Marinette soaked up the positive emotions and courage, using them to once again wash away the emotions she was still getting from the sedentary Chat Noir, who was <em>pouting</em> on the other side of the Arc De Triomphe, completely oblivious to the fight about to take place.</p><p>No doubt he thought the fight was over, and was waiting for 'his Lady' to come comfort him over his betrayal, for her to tell him that she was sorry, that she forgave him, that it wasn't his fault; waiting for <em>her</em> to take the blame for his actions once more.</p><p>Not this time.</p><p>"<em>Okay, I'm going to come out and try to talk her down; circle around the square so you're behind her, and make sure she can't see you, okay?" </em>Marinette instructed, waiting until Kitsune Blanc nodded in agreement before Marinette stepped out of the shadows, into Mayura's field of view.</p><p>Over Mayura's shoulder, Marinette saw Kitsune Blanc leap a block's distance in a single bound, landing silently on the pavement, before vanishing in a flash of golden light, a few notes from her flute drifting to Marinette's ears on the wind, songs of concealment floating through her mind.</p><p>"Mayura." Marinette called loudly, making Mayura flinch before glaring at Marinette with her poison-colored eyes.</p><p>"What do <em>you </em>want, you <em>MONSTER!?" </em>Mayura demanded, voice turning into a scream of rage as she rose to her feet, side-stepping Gabriel's body so she could stalk forward, fan raised threateningly, leaving bloody footprints in her wake, "He's DEAD! You <em>KILLED HIM!"</em> She screeched, her voice echoing eerily over the deserted square, dancing between the buildings and cars, ringing throughout the city as all of Paris seemed to hush, watching the confrontation with bated breath.</p><p>Marinette raised her eyebrow. "Is that supposed to matter to me?"</p><p>Mayura balked at Marinette's blasé response.</p><p>For a second Mayura seemed too shocked to speak. Then, "You're not even upset that a man is <em>dead</em>!?" Mayura demanded, before scoffing and shaking her head, using her free hand to wipe the tears from her eyes⏤ leaving a crimson streak across her blue mask from her blood-covered hands. "And you call <em>us </em>the villains!"</p><p>"I do," Marinette said, "And why should I care that that man is dead, when he has killed <em>hundreds of thousands? </em>Why should I care when I have seen people torn to pieces and mutilated in the wake of the monsters you two create? Why should I care that he is dead from a broken back and skull, when it is because of <em>him</em> that I have seen people I know and love killed in the most agonizing, gruesome ways possible?!" Marinette demanded, stalking forward a step, not caring that she had stepped in the pool of blood that had spread far from the body⏤</p><p>She had walked through far worse in her battles against these two than the blood of a mass-murderer.</p><p>Marinette glared. "His manner of death was not a mercy he would grant his victims; did you not hear him, just minutes ago? He's convinced Chat Noir and I are children, and yet he threatened to <em>break</em> us if he managed to take our Miraculouses. The man you follow was gleeful at the thought of torturing children, and has killed thousands of children already. And now you think <em>I</em> should be upset at his death? I will not grieve for a monster finally defeated; you and Gabriel Agreste are the monsters here, Mayura, no one else." Marinette said with venom, glaring, before softening her expression into neutrality once more.</p><p>"But, you don't <em>have</em> to stay a monster, Mayura. Give me your Miraculous, and let your reign of terror come to a quiet end. Give me your Miraculous, and make the right choice⏤ this doesn't need to end in more bloodshed." She said softly.</p><p>But Mayura simply snarled at her, and lunged into motion.</p><p>Pinioned throwing knives flew through the air, flashing purple and green with their poisonous eyespots catching the sunlight⏤</p><p>Marinette dodged three and deflected the other two back at Mayura with her yoyo, whirling it overhead as a shield in her off hand as she took up her new cane in her dominant one, parrying Mayura's next strike as the razor edge of Mayura's fan blades came slashing down with the intent of slicing her throat.</p><p>"Kitsune Blanc, <em>now!" </em>Marinette shouted, and sharp peals of music reached her ears⏤</p><p>A wall of golden fire sprang up between Marinette and Mayura, forcing Mayura back lest the flames consumed her-but the flames didn't burn Marinette, all they did was fill her with a steady warmth, the heat of courage stoking the flames within her heart higher, as high as the notes from Kitsune Blanc's flute as her Champion danced her way into the battle, gouts of flame surrounding her form.</p><p>"Mayura! Give up your Miraculous!" Kitsune Blanc called, twirling in a stream of fire as she leapt through the air, landing next to Marinette and readying her flute at her lips⏤ the flute had absorbed the light of the sun and was now glowing brilliant gold bordering on white, fueling the flames and Kitsune Blanc's song as she continued to play her Rally Call, swaying on the spot in constant movement, as if she herself were a living flame.</p><p>Mayura screamed in frustration and rage as Kitsune Blanc's golden flames spread across the ground, forming a wide, towering cage that encircled the entire Arc De Triomphe, cutting her off from any escape routes. "Never! I will defeat you <em>both,</em> and bring my beloved Gabriel back!" Mayura shot back, slashing her fan and sending another wave of poison darts in their direction once more.</p><p>Marinette and Kitsune Blanc moved in complete synchrony, ducking and weaving and deflecting Mayura's dart back at her or harmlessly into the ground⏤And Mayura let out an aggrieved shriek when some of the deflected darts hit Gabriel's body. Mayura even froze for a moment, hesitating in the face of seeing her own attacks desecrating her beloved's body.</p><p>Taking the opportunity while it lasted, Marinette sent a mental command to Kitsune Blanc, and the two of them closed ranks and advanced on Mayura together. When Mayura tried to leap upwards to get away, Marinette sent out her yoyo and knocked her out of the air, trying to restrain her, but failing to get the right angle as Chat Noir's emotions suddenly changed from defeat, envy, and curiosity to outright poisonous, angry <em>jealousy.</em></p><p>Stumbling at the wave of new emotions echoing through her new senses, Marinette whirled around and saw Chat Noir perched high up on the top of the Arc De Triomphe, staring down at her and Kitsune Blanc with a look of <em>betrayal </em>visible on his face for just a split second, before he covered it up with a fake grin.</p><p>"Decided to replace me already, M'Lady?" Chat Noir called down, voice lilting and joking, belying the hatred simmering in his mind for Kitsune Blanc fighting at Marinette's side⏤ "I see you updated your looks too, and without even telling me! If I'd known, I would have changed so we could <em>Me</em>-<em>a</em>tch." He laughed, "So, you managed to beat Hawkmoth by yourself, without yours truly to help you take him out? I wanted to take a few minutes to cut him down to size! I bet he was a real <em>paw</em>ful by your loneso⏤"</p><p>Chat Noir's voice was full of his usual cheer, his usual devil-may-care attitude in full swing as he raked his gaze over Marinette's new attire, making her skin crawl with his casual examination.</p><p>Then his eyes tracked past Kitsune Blanc, and he spotted the blood on the ground. His emotions did not change at the sight of the blood, it was an every day occurance for Akuma battles.</p><p>Marinette, sick and tired of Chat Noir <em>deliberately distracting her in battle</em>, was already turning back to face Mayura once more, thanking Kitsune Blanc through their bond as golden fire protected her from Mayura's renewed attacks, Kitsune Blanc doing her best to distract the villain from targeting Marinette while <em>she</em> was distracted by <em>Chat Noir</em>⏤</p><p>But even after closing her mind off as much as she could, even narrowing her mental focus so she could only feel Kitsune Blanc's emotions through their bond⏤</p><p>Marinette felt the tidal wave of emotion that swept over her when Chat Noir's eyes landed on Gabriel Agreste's body.</p><p>There was a feeling like all of the air had been knocked out of her, then from above, came Chat Noir's voice:</p><p>"<em>WHAT HAPPENED!?" </em>His voice was a roar, it was savage, full of rage, full of denial, full of <em>horror </em>and… <em>despair?</em></p><p>Marinette could taste the storm of his emotions on her tongue, and it sickened her, that abrupt drop from faked highs down to the blackest depths of despair so fast it made her head spin.</p><p>
  <em>Is this what Hawkmoth felt, every time he targeted someone for an Akuma?</em>
</p><p><em>Disgusting, and to think he </em>relished <em>this sensation.</em></p><p>"He's dead! He fell!" Mayura called, eyes lighting up as she saw Chat Noir's twisted expression, and seizing the opportunity, "LADYBUG PUSHED HIM!" Mayura crowed, dodging another blast of golden fire shot at her by Kitsune Blanc⏤ "LADYBUG <em>MURDERED HIM!"</em></p><p>The tether holding Chat Noir's emotions in check <em>snapped</em>.</p><p>"<em><strong>WHAT!?</strong></em>" He roared, wide, green eyes seeking Marinette's even as he launched himself off of the roof, landing in a stumbling crouch by Gabriel's body, left hand touching down on the blood-soaked ground, coating it in crimson. "Ladybug, is that <em>true?" </em>He demanded harshly of her, and Marinette stumbled back with the force of his emotions poisoning her mind, squeezing her eyes shut and clutching her head as the negativity began to overwhelm her⏤</p><p>But Kitsune Blanc⏤ <em>Alya </em>⏤ stopped shooting her flames at Mayura and instead took up her flute once more as she cast her flames directly at <em>Marinette</em> instead: high, steady notes poured from the flute as the golden flames engulfed Marinette, startling a gasp from Mayura at what looked like a sudden betrayal.</p><p>Marinette's world turned from deepest black to brightest gold as the flames washed over her, and she gasped in a breath of hot air, feeling the fire cleansing the bitterness from her soul and bolstering her spirit.</p><p>Even as she soaked in the golden light, the fire transformed further, glowing brighter and brighter until it burned white-hot, Kitsune Blanc's love, devotion, and faith in Marinette being transferred back, the flute's notes transforming in pitch and sound until instead of a single flute, it was like an entire orchestra was pouring from the instrument, violins soaring high, percussion beating a war path, and a myriad of string instruments swelling with each beat of her heart, pushing the encroaching darkness away.</p><p>"<em>Thank you." </em>Marinette sent to Alya as the flames reached their height around her and sank back to the ground, condensing into two guardian foxes of white fire that curled around Marinette's ankles protectively, sharing their warmth and positivity, shielding her from Chat Noir's poisonous emotions.</p><p>Straightening back to her full height, Marinette turned to look at Chat Noir once more, steady now that Kitsune Blanc's guardians were blocking Chat Noir's black emotions from reaching her.</p><p>Her voice was steady when she spoke. "Chat Noir, his death is not something I can regret. I did not murder him; I took his Miraculous as he was jumping away. He fell to his death, but that <em>man</em> is <em>Hawkmoth!" </em>She said, keeping one eye on Mayura as she scowled at the proceedings, their battle interrupted, but not for long.</p><p>Mayura was planning something, that was for sure; Marinette couldn't afford Chat Noir's continued distractions.</p><p>"That <em>man </em>is my <em>FATHER!" </em>Chat Noir screamed, face twisting in rage as he pointed his baton at Marinette accusingly, "<em>And you could have SAVED HIM! </em>You KILLED HIM!"</p><p>Marinette stared at Chat Noir⏤ for just a moment, before his words really sank in, Marinette remembered all of the times that Chat Noir stood idly by as her parents were in mortal peril, her so-called 'partner' completely uncaring as they screamed for their civilian daughter as she was brutally killed above their heads because he was too busy trying to <em>kiss</em> her while she fought the Akuma single-handedly.</p><p>Memories of Chat Noir letting her parents die and refusing to lift a finger to save them or their teenaged daughter while Marinette had to stop herself from breaking down during the battle, fighting to bring her parents back to life while Chat Noir rolled his eyes at her anger for his inaction as he told her '<em>they'll just be back when you cast your Miraculous Cure anyways, M'lady, no need to get worked up about it. Civilians die all the time.'</em></p><p>Then his words, here and now, sank in.</p><p>Kitsune Blanc pivoted to face Chat Noir, her song fading as she lowered her flute from her lips uncertainly, her eyes darting from Gabriel Agreste's body and back to Chat Noir again, where he was slowly advancing on Marinette.</p><p>Mayura stumbled backwards as well, letting out a ragged-sounding gasp of shock. "What?" Mayura choked out, "W-what did you just say<em>?"</em></p><p>Marinette stared at Chat Noir, and in a voice that felt like ice, repeated Mayura's question.</p><p>"<em>What did you just say?</em>"</p><p>Instead of brittle, Marinette's voice was cold, hard, and unforgiving.</p><p>Maybe it was the power of wearing two Miraculous.</p><p>Maybe it had just been a long time coming.</p><p>But walls of magic were crumbling in Marinette's mind, walls that forced her to overlook the obvious similarities, walls that forced her to dismiss idle speculations and suspicions, walls that protected a Miraculous Wielder's identity from all others⏤</p><p>"I <em>said, </em>that man is my <em>FATHER,</em> AND I WAS ASKING IF YOU <em>MURDERED HIM</em>!" Chat Noir screamed hysterically, advancing in a charge as he raised his right hand threateningly, and Marinette saw it still had the black power of a Cataclysm sparking from it as he charged at her⏤</p><p>And a spell was broken.</p><p>Chat Noir was only <em>three feet</em> away from her, Cataclysm held in her direction, baton held ready at his side, when Marinette felt the walls in her mind collapse into dust⏤</p><p>And she acted.</p><p>Whipping her yoyo out with stunning force and shooting it around a nearby street lamp so it was angled for leverage, Marinette aimed, not for Chat Noir's⏤ <em>Adrien Agreste's⏤ </em>hand that held the Cataclysm, but instead, she aimed for his left hand: the one that wielded his baton.</p><p>Expertly binding his weapon to his off-hand, Marinette leapt to the side, pushing Kitsune Blanc with her as she pulled on her yoyo, forcing Chat Noir⏤ Forcing <em>Adrien Agreste's</em> baton-hand in the opposite direction, and pulling him off balance as she nearly yanked him off his feet.</p><p><em>Adrien's </em>baton and off-hand was pulled up and <em>across</em> his body, and before he could react, the baton came in contact with his Cataclysm: the one he had been <em>threatening her with</em>.</p><p>In a burst of rusted metal and smoke, the baton was destroyed by the Cataclysm completely, disarming him and using up his Power completely within a split second, halting his threatening advance as he stumbled and fell to the ground, looking shocked at her actions.</p><p>"No, <em>Adrien Alberic Agreste,</em> I did <em>not </em>murder your father," Marinette snarled, feeling like the walls that had crumbled in her mind had also made the ground crumble beneath her feet.</p><p>Maybe, on any other day...</p><p>Maybe, in any other circumstance...</p><p>Maybe, she would have felt different about this revelation.</p><p>Maybe, she would have been sad.</p><p>Maybe, she would have been disappointed.</p><p>Maybe, there would be some small chance of reconciliation.</p><p>But today was not any other day.</p><p>And today, the circumstances were this:</p><p>
  <em>Gabriel Agreste was Hawkmoth.</em>
</p><p>Marinette had suspected Gabriel Agreste of being Hawkmoth after she found the Guardian's Codex in Adrien's hands at school, after Adrien said he had borrowed it from his father.</p><p>Marinette had recruited Chat Noir to help her investigate Gabriel Agreste.</p><p>Chat Noir had done nothing to help the investigation, and had been acting oddly the whole time, and had been very insistent that, since Gabriel was akumatized, he <em>couldn't possibly be Hawkmoth.</em></p><p>But Gabriel Agreste <em>was </em>Hawkmoth.</p><p>And Adrien Agreste <em>was</em> Chat Noir.</p><p>Adrien Agreste had had the Guardians' Codex in his hands.</p><p>
  <em>Chat Noir had had the Guardians' Codex in his hands.</em>
</p><p>But did he <em>ever</em> tell her that?</p><p>No.</p><p>No, he did not.</p><p>He didn't even <em>imply</em> that he might know something incriminating against Gabriel.</p><p>All Adrien Agreste, all Chat Noir, had done, was be eager to prove <em>his father's</em> innocence.</p><p>When that innocence was a <em>sham.</em></p><p>Adrien Agreste was Chat Noir.</p><p>Chat Noir was Adrien Agreste.</p><p>Hawkmoth was Gabriel Agreste, Chat Noir's father.</p><p>And Chat Noir had just now threatened her with his Cataclysm⏤</p><p>He had threatened her with <em>death</em>, or unending agony.</p><p>Would her suit have protected her?</p><p>Would she have survived a direct hit?</p><p>But even if she had survived the Cataclysm, what if he hit her Miraculous?</p><p>What if he hit Nooroo's Miraculous? Would Alya be stuck as Kitsune Blanc for the rest of time? What would happen to poor Nooroo, only just rescued, and then damaged beyond repair?</p><p>What if he hit <em>Tikki's</em> Miraculous? Would her kwami friend survive unscathed? But even if Tikki herself was okay, how would they ever fix all of the damage? Would she even be able to use her Miraculous Ladybugs with a Cataclysmed Miraculous?</p><p>Would she have died in the attempt, or would she have survived to live another day, only to fall prey to the inevitable damage accumulated over constant use, the way Mayura was?</p><p>Either way, the result was the same:</p><p>
  <em>Adrien Agreste was Chat Noir, and Chat Noir had just tried to kill her.</em>
</p><p>There would be no forgiving; there would no redemption for Adrien Agreste on this day.</p><p>No <em>Second Chances.</em></p><p>Because '<em>Aspik' </em>had been a betrayal, too.</p><p>"No, Adrien Alberic Agreste, I did <em>not</em> murder your father," Marinette repeated, feeling breathless with the anger building in her lungs, "Your father's downfall was of his own making, and you will NOT interfere with justice, and you will NOT DARE TO <em><strong>THREATEN ME LIKE THAT AGAIN!</strong></em>" The last words that escaped her raw throat were a scream, as all of the pressure that had been building in her mind escaped in a roar, "ALL OF PARIS IS AT STAKE, AND YOU WOULD PREFER ME DEAD THAN SEE THIS CITY SAVED?!"</p><p>Chat Noir⏤ <em>Adriean freaking Agreste⏤ </em>looked shocked at her screamed words, before looking indignant as she released his bound hand with a harsh tug on her yoyo, retracting the lead once more, leaving him sprawled awkwardly on the ground next to his father's body.</p><p>"<em>Stay</em> <em>down." </em>Marinette snarled.</p><p>The yoyo reached her hand sticky with drying blood, and she wiped it off on the suit in disgust, baring her teeth at <em>Adrien</em> in warning as she turned back to face Mayura once more, determined that if <em>Adrien</em> made one more move to stop her from capturing Mayura and ending this reign of <em>terrorism</em>, she wouldn't hesitate.</p><p>She might not have killed Gabriel Agreste, but she would not hesitate to take out <em>anyone </em>that <em>deliberately jeopardized</em> her chance to free all of Paris from Hawkmoth and Mayura's reign, especially when Adrien had <em>just tried to murder her himself!</em></p><p>Mayura was standing still, looking at Adrien, completely dumbstruck. Her fan was up over her mouth in an expression of shock, and her magenta eyes were staring at him, unblinking.</p><p>Mayura had undoubtedly known Gabriel's true identity, so did that mean <em>Mayura </em>recognized Adrien, as well?</p><p>As Marinette moved forward, cane held ready at her side, yoyo extended, guardian foxes at her feet, with Kitsune Blanc at her back and Adrien in her peripheral vision, she tried to scrutinize Mayura's appearance, to catch a glimpse of the human beneath the Miraculous⏤</p><p>But Mayura was simply too alien, too strange, for her to pin down any defining features, her outline too blurred by her strange skin tone and oddly-pigmented features to look completely human.</p><p>Was that by design, or as a result of her damaged Miraculous?</p><p>If Chat Noir⏤ if <em>Adrien</em> had Cataclysmed her earrings, would Marinette have looked something like that, next time she transformed?</p><p>"Buggaboo, you know I would <em>never</em>⏤" Adrien started to plead his case.</p><p>"<em>SHUT. UP." </em>Marinette snarled the command, not taking her gaze away from Mayura again, "You just tried to Cataclysm me, you just tried to <em>kill me</em>. You do <em>not get to speak. </em>You can either stay out of the way, or help us."</p><p>"Help you? Why would he help his father's <em>murderers</em>?" Mayura shouted, voice perfectly incredulous as she turned her gaze to <em>Adrien</em> where he sat on the sidewalk still. "Look at what they did to him, Adrien! Help me defeat Ladybug, and together, we can bring your father back! We can bring your <em>MOTHER </em>back! That is what your father was working towards all along! He wanted to save your mother! All of this! All of this was for <em>you</em>, Adrien!"</p><p>"Destroying all of Paris? Killings hundreds of thousands of people over and over again? Injuring and traumatizing hundreds of thousands? And you think that's all okay, because you were trying to save <em>one</em> person!?" Kitsune Blanc demanded, disgust in her voice, "Chat Noir, <em>Adrien</em>, don't listen to her! If she's killed so many people like that, do you really think she cares about <em>you</em>!?"</p><p>"Oh, Adrien, but I do!" Mayura refuted, "I love you like the son I never had! Join me, and not only can we bring your father back once we have Ladybug's Miraculous, but we can bring <em>your mother</em> back, too! All we need to do is combine your Miraculous and Ladybug's, and we'll be granted a wish and ultimate power!"</p><p>Adrien was staring at Mayura, looking distressed as he swiveled his head between Mayura, his father's body, and Marinette. "I⏤ I don't know what to do!" He exclaimed finally, screwing his eyes up and clutching at his hair with his claws, clearly torn between the two choices; to take down the supervillain terrorists, or to <em>join</em> the supervillain terrorists.</p><p>Such a hard choice to make, apparently.</p><p>Marinette bared her teeth in disgust, and switched her gaze back toward Mayura.</p><p>"It's okay, Adrien," Mayura soothed, "Just follow your <em>heart</em>!"</p><p>Too late, Marinette realized that Adrien's theatrics had distracted her and Kitsune Blanc more than she had realized.</p><p>But, too late⏤</p><p>The black feather had already landed on Chat Noir's Miraculous⏤</p><p>"No!" Kitsune Blanc shouted, throwing out one hand and directing a wave of golden fire in Adrien's direction⏤</p><p>"Now, my beautiful Amok! Take the despair and confusion in his mind and shape it into a powerful ally!" Mayura crowed victoriously, and right as Kitsune Blanc's wave of fire washed over Adrien's form, he slumped over, limp, as a black and blue mass of magic formed over Adrien and his father, the solidifying form effortlessly shrugging off the wave of golden fire.</p><p>Unhinging its jaw in a snarl that shook the entre street, the Amok finished forming into the shape of a gargantuan, humanoid black tiger, it's fur blending effortlessly into indigo-blue feathered stripes that adorned its flanks, mouth parted to reveal glowing green fangs that dripped with neon poison, perfectly matching the shade of its eyes.</p><p>It's claws were un-retracted as they dug into the road, and Marinette saw that where its feet touched the ground, darkness and signs of rapid aging spread out from the points of contact, each step an untamed Cataclysm.</p><p>"Now, Chapalu, it is time! Help me defeat Ladybug and her ally, so that we may bring Gabriel and Emilie Agreste back to life!" Mayura commanded, and the Amok⏤ <em>Chapalu</em>⏤ leapt to obey.</p><p>Dodging backwards and pulling Kitsune Blanc with her, as Chapalu pounced on the spot they had just vacated, Marinette held on tight as Kitsune Blanc clutched at her arm and leapt straight into the air as the massive werecat lashed out a paw the size of a minivan and swiped its claws in their direction, letting out a deafening yowl when its fur was singed on the guardian foxes that followed Marinette's footsteps.</p><p>Using her free hand, Marinette whipped her yoyo up and spun it into a buzzing shield in front of them as Mayura let out a battle cry and unleashed a new wave of poison darts in their direction as Kitsune Blanc's jump carried them higher into the air than Marinette could ever have managed alone. "We need to destroy Chat Noir's Miraculous!" Marinette commanded, "That's the only way to dispel the Amok! Once we've taken care of Chapalu, we'll take down Mayura!"</p><p>"Right!" Kitsune Blanc agreed, and readied her flute at her lips as they alighted on the top of the Arc de Triomphe, Kitsune Blanc releasing her hold on Marinette's arm without a moment of hesitation.</p><p>A stark contrast to Chat Noir, who would have forced her to rip her hand from his hold when a pointed look was a fruitless effort on her part, but now was not the time to think about that⏤</p><p>Changing the angle of her yoyo, Marinette redirected the poison darts in Chapalu's direction, knowing that Mayura herself would most likely be too nimble to be hit by her own weapon, and hoping that Chapalu's sheer size would make it hard for the Amok to dodge the small attacks from such a close range.</p><p>Her hope was realized as the werecat was hit square in the flank by the majority of the darts, but Marinette frowned in consternation when they appeared to have no effect; if anything, the poison made Chapalu's green eyes glow even brighter, and the neon saliva that dripped from its maw started smoking on contact with what remained of the asphalt.</p><p>Splitting up and leaping in opposite directions as Chapalu leapt at the Arc de Triomphe, Marinette and Kitsune Blanc both began their attacks in earnest; sharp musical notes from Kitsune Blanc's flute filled the air, adding to the cacophony of noise from the battle, and as Marinette used her yoyo to slingshot herself within striking range of Mayura, more golden foxes joined the battlefield, much smaller than Marinette's guardian foxes, but harrying to Chapalu nonetheless, who seemed to burn easily on contact with the little eidolons' hopeful fire.</p><p>Yowling in pain, Chapalu skittered away from a mini fox as it nipped at the Amok's paws, Chapalu's every stumbling step leaving huge craters in the asphalt that splintered and spread across the ground, making movement treacherous; one spiraling cataclysm reached perilously close to Gabriel's body and Adrien's slumped form, prompting Mayura to scream out an angry warning⏤</p><p>"<em>NO!" </em>Mayura shrieked, enraged, raising one fist and clenching it tightly in the air.</p><p>Chapalu <em>screamed</em> and fell to the ground, writhing in agony before scrambling away from Gabriel and Adrien, the massive creature cringing into the ground like a kicked puppy.</p><p>Marinette saw red.</p><p>
  <em>Just like she did to Sentibug!</em>
</p><p>Swinging her cane with a ferocity she'd never felt before, Marinette didn't care that Mayura dodged; she just kept swinging, again and again, using her yoyo as a lasso to try to trip Mayura up, until the two of them were whirling in close combat, punching, hitting, kicking and slashing with their respective weapons, dodging hits and strikes or catching and redirecting the force behind them, each consumed with defeating their opponent as they veritably danced around each other, Marinette's guardian foxes biting at Mayura's heels, never giving her a moment of peace and forcing her to constantly be on the move, the wall of fire at her back limiting her's options of retreat.</p><p>They were focused only on defeating each other⏤ or, at least, <em>Marinette </em>was.</p><p>But while Marinette fully trusted that Kitsune Blanc could handle herself against Chapalu, Mayura was clearly overwrought, both emotionally and physically, not trusting her Amok, as she kept screaming reprimands and commands to Chapalu, using her powers to punish the Amok whenever it failed to land a hit against Kitsune Blanc or her foxes as they harried it with skill.</p><p>Chapalu screamed out in pain every time Mayura did so, distracting the Amok further, causing it to miss more hits⏤ and Mayura just kept <em>hurting it even more.</em></p><p>The seconds ticked by with a strangeness that could only be chalked up to adrenaline; Marinette's mind was racing faster than she could consciously comprehend, and she found herself anticipating Mayura's moves before the villain even choreographed them, as though Mayura were acting in slow motion, and Marinette had already read the script.</p><p>Marinette raised her cane to block a swipe at her face before Mayura even raised her arm; Marinette swept out her yoyo to snag Mayura's fan before Mayura could send a wave of poison darts at Kitsune Blanc; Marinette dropped to the ground before Mayura had even tensed to leap and tackle her, making the furious villain sail over her head, and fumble her landing, surprised.</p><p>
  <em>This must be a side effect from the Butterfly Miraculous⏤ the Miraculous of Transmission; or perhaps, it is because I am using both the Ladybug and the Butterfly: Creation and Transmission. What other abilities have I gained from unifying these Miraculous? Why should Creation and Destruction be the only pair that gain new abilities when united?</em>
</p><p>It was strange, it was dizzying, it felt like she wasn't synced to time properly; but Marinette had always been a fast learner.</p><p>Yanking on the lead to her yoyo, Marinette wrenched Mayura's fan out of her grasp and caught it under her arm, making sure the blades were facing away from her body as she quickly swung her cane into it's holster, gripped the fan in her hands, and <em>ripped</em>.</p><p>"<em>NO!" </em>Mayura cried out, as her weapon was destroyed, distracted as Marinette tossed the halves of the fans in two different directions⏤</p><p>And in that moment of crucial distraction, as Mayura watched her weapon be destroyed, Marinette's guardian foxes charged in and snatched away the Peacock Miraculous from Mayura's throat.</p><p>In the blink of an eye, the battle was won.</p><p>The second the Peacock Miraculous was taken from Mayura's possession, Chapalu ceased its frantic attacks aimed at Kitsune Blanc and instead cowered on the ground, blue and black feathered fur fluffed up on end as it lashed its tail and pinned its ears back, hissing at Kitsune Blanc where she had it cornered against the golden wall of flames, every inch of its body language that of pure fear.</p><p>Marinette's guardian foxes came bounding to her side, and Marinette stooped down to retrieve the Peacock Miraculous, feeling it's power trying to connect to her as it continued to fuel Chapalu's existence.</p><p>If Marinette wanted to, she could destroy Chapalu now with just a thought. All she had to do was sever the connection between Chapalu and the Miraculous, take back the power and strength that the broken jewel was holding onto.</p><p>Accepting the broken broach into her gloved hand, Marinette pushed some of her strength into the Miraculous instead, clipping it to the top of her wrist, feeling as it connected to her heart, tugging on the strings as it joined the <em>two other </em>Miraculous she was wielding.</p><p>Dusuu, the Peacock kwami, spiraled out of the Miraculous and immediately fell against Marinette's hand, completely limp. Marinette cradled the injured kwami close to her chest, and did not activate her Miraculous.</p><p>"<em>It's okay now, you do not need to fight anymore, you will not be hurt anymore". </em>Marinette sent the thought to Chapalu <em>and </em>Dusuu with Noroo's powers. Chapalu existed now doubly in her mind as both a wall of bleak despair and a pulsing blue light against her senses, while Dusuu was a muted exhaustion. Slipping Dusuu delicately into the breast pocket of her new suit, Marinette knew the injured kwami would be safe for now.</p><p>Dusuu, unconscious, did not respon to her words. A bone-rattling hiss was the only response she received from the conscious Amok, but Marinette knew with the Peacock Miraculous in hand that Chapalu would not attack again; knew it did not even <em>want </em>to attack in the first place. Chapalu was born of despair and confusion, and had only been hurt by its creator in its brief, battle-wrought moments of life.</p><p>Transmitting that information to Kitsune Blanc through their connection instantaneously, Marinette sent her yoyo spinning out once more, binding the wrists and ankles of Nathalie Sancoeur who had fallen to the ground, her rimless glasses apparently ill fitting, as they had fallen off of her face entirely, bouncing across the sidewalk with a clatter of cracking plastic.</p><p>Nathalie's hair was disarayyed and her eyes were red and raw from crying, the tear tracks now visible on her fully-human face. Cracked and bitten lips parted, Nathalie remained kneeling on the ground as she gasped for air like a landed fish, managing somehow to muster just enough energy to glare at Marinette murderously even as she fought for breath, struggling to recover from abusing the broken Miraculous' powers.</p><p>Ignoring the woman's glares, Marinette jerked her head in Adrien and Gabriel's direction, and Kitsune Blanc followed her lead, directing the little army of mini fire spirits to remain in a ring around Chapalu, who remained cowering from their light and any sign of movement as Kitsune Blanc joined Marinette's side.</p><p>Together, the two of them crossed the destroyed square and reached Gabriel and Adrien's bodies. Kitsune Blanc's aversion to the gruesome injuries on Gabriel from his fall was palpable, but even stronger than the disgust at the blood was Alya's disgust at the <em>man</em> himself.</p><p>It's hard, to put into words, just how it feels to behold the body of a man that has hurt so many people, that has killed and tormented so many people including your loved ones and yourself, now dead at your feet.</p><p>Adrien, still in the guise of Chat Noir was kneeling on his knees on the sidewalk, eyes closed and breathing slowly and evenly, his body being used as a conduit for Chapalu's stronger manifestation, just like Hawkmoth⏤ just like <em>Gabriel </em>had been used to create that very first Amok, the purple, monstrous butterfly from Heroes Day.</p><p>Suited up, Adrien was completely unharmed from the chaotic battle, with only a few hairs toused out of place so his human ears were visible. Somehow, the sight of them gave his entire form a more childish, young appearance.</p><p>Adrien Agreste was only fourteen years old.</p><p>Lifting his limp hand and pulling the Ring of the Black Cat off of his finger, Marinette glared at his tranquil face.</p><p>Because Marinette was fourteen years old, too, and it was <em>never</em> an excuse.</p><p>The Black Cat Miraculous in hand, Marinette caught Plagg as the exhausted kwami materialized in the same instant that Adrien's Chat Noir suit vanished, leaving Adrien in his civilian clothes, still in a trance, harmless and unable to fight to keep his Miraculous.</p><p>"I'm sorry, Plagg, I don't have any food for you right now." Marinette apologized sincerely, knowing that the kwami would have been exhausted from Adrien using his Cataclysm, and that was <em>before </em>Mayura kept Adrien transformed longer than his timer would have made possible.</p><p>Marinette wasn't surprised when Plagg was unable to respond; the little black kitten of a kwami was nearly unconscious in her hands, and she very carefully slipped him into her pocket, next to Dussuu so they could rest together.</p><p>Placing the Ring on her right middle finger, Marinette felt it as the latest Miraculous connected to her soul, the strength of the connection being forged nearly taking her breath away as the Ring and her Earrings seemed to reach out to each other, buzzing power and weakness through her veins in equal measure as the two opposite energies clashed and fought, then merged into one unbreakable chain around her heart.</p><p>Marinette was tired of being the prey.</p><p>If she was going to be forced to play the most dangerous game…</p><p>Marinette shook the thought away and dropped Adrien's hand, allowing his now-bare fingers to fall back to hi side. Seeing the boy she had thought was her friend like this hurt her heart, and she felt each of Chat Noir's stolen kisses burning like brands against her cheek, her hand, and her lips. Revulsion and disgust filled her, and Marinette wanted nothing more than to wash the feeling of his lips against her skin away, but knew the poison of his touch would linger for a very long time as she tried to reconcile seemingly-kind Adrien and cruel, mocking Chat Noir.</p><p>The person she thought she loved, and the person who tormented her every akuma battle with his ceaseless violation of every boundary she set.</p><p>The person she thought was kind, and the person who stood bye and cruelly insulted and mocked and refused to help her fight while civilians were killed by the Akuma in front of them.</p><p>The person she thought was her friend, and the person who didn't care that she was dead, intent only on kissing her against her will as she fought the villain alone to save her parents from the same fate.</p><p>Stepping away from Adrien's entranced form, Marinette put physical distance between them, knowing if she stood there and looked at his fale-angelic face for too long, she would breakdown, and she could not afford to do that right now, when they were so close to winning once and for all, so close to freeing Paris from Hawkmoth's reign of terror.</p><p>"What will you do now, <em>Ladybug</em>?" Nathalie Sacoeur demanded in a scornful croak, recovered just the slightest from her magical exertion, "Will you kill me as well, and leave Adrien an orphan? Or will you murder him, too? Wrap everything up in a pretty little bow? Get rid of us supervillains forever, all at once?"</p><p>Marinette stared cooly at the terrorist as the woman growled out her words, hostility and defiance the biggest emotions radiating out of Nathalie. But underneath the anger, underneath the bravado, was the very real fear that the woman was trying so hard to hide.</p><p>Marinette considered the woman's words, then turned away, ignoring her.</p><p>Walking over to Chapalu with Kitsune Blanc trailing quietly behind, Marinette held the ring that wielded the Ring of the Black Cat aloft. "Chapalu, you were born in fear and confusion, you deserve to know peace." Now wielding both the Ring of the Black Cat, the Chapalu's amokitized object, <em>and </em>the Peacock Miraculous, Marinette reached across the bond she now had with the Amok and soothed the despair she found in the werecat's soul. Stepping past the line of protective miniature fire spirits, Marinette slowly approached Chapalu, soothing the Amok's despair and terror with every step she took, pulling the negative emotions away and replacing them with trust and hope, until the guardian foxes at her heels no longer burned Chapalu but strengthened it, until Chapalu's form began to change and shift. Each step she took closer, and Chapalu began to shrink, from the size of a tank to the size of a SUV, to the size of a horse, then a large dog.</p><p>When Marinette reached out a gentle, coaxing hand for Chapalu to uncertainly sniff, the werecat had shrunk down to the size of a large housecat. The second her palm gently traced over Chapalu's forehead, over its ears, and down its back, the second the werecat realized Marinette was not going to hurt it, Chapalu erupted into the world's loudest purr, desperately nuzzling against her hand and seeking comfort.</p><p>
  <em>I couldn't save Sentibug, but I can save you.</em>
</p><p>"What now, Ladybug?" Kitsune Blanc asked, placing one hand down for Chapalu to sniff, then crouching down more fully to pet the miniature black and blue tiger as the new Sentimental rubbed against her legs.</p><p>"Now, we cast the Cure and bring everyone back." Marinette said simply.</p><p>"Is that safe?" Kitsune Blanc questioned, "Won't your Miraculous Cure give them their Miraculouses back when it heals them? Won't it erase this cutie?" She asked, gesturing at Chapalu, who was trying its best to clamber up onto Kitsune Blanc's shoulder so it could nuzzle her more, its entire body shaking with its purrs.</p><p>"No," A quiet, weary voice said, and Marinette looked down to see Plagg trying his best to wiggle out of her pocket without disturbing Dusuu too much, too weak to even fly. Crouching down lest he somehow fall, Marinette assisted Plagg in crawling out of the fabric so he could sit on her shoulder, looking tiny and fragile against her bright red suit. "You have… you have Nooroo helping you. With the… Butterfly's' power, you can choose what stays and what fades away. With your Ladybug Cure." Plagg explained laboriously, fighting through his obvious exhaustion to get the words out.</p><p>"You can, you can direct the Cure to affect... Different things. You can even fix things not affect by this battl. You could even keep him dead, that <em>bastard.</em>" Plagg snarled weakly, flexing tiny claws in Gabriel's direction, "He deserves it. He's hurt⏤ <em>too many</em> people. He would do it again. He would, he would <em>never</em> give up. He <em>will </em>never give up. If you bring him back, he won't stop. <em>Let him stay dead.</em>" Plagg snarled breathlessly, fighting to stay conscious.</p><p>Marinette looked down at Plagg, and realized that Plagg had not just been Adrien Agreste's kwami, but Plagg had <em>been living in Gabriel Agreste</em>'s home this entire time. Plagg was probably the best person here to judge Gabriel for his crimes; he fought him in his mask, and he saw how he treated his son and everyone around him when Gabriel was a 'civilian'.</p><p>As if you could ever be a 'civilian' when you were a magical terrorist killing and re-killing not just the city of Paris but the entire world, for the sake of <em>one person.</em></p><p>"He doesn't have an off switch," Plagg panted, confirming her thought, "Everything he did, he did to get a new victim. Every word out of his mouth was designed to hurt. He doesn't deserve to come back. He has turned a <em>literal infant</em> into an Akuma multiple times, he has already <em>crossed</em> the point of no return. He doesn't care about anyone but his wife. He doesn't even care about how much he hurts Adrien, <em>his son</em>, by constantly using him as a pawn in his games. He locks Adrien up. He never talks to him, <em>ever.</em> He's <em>never there</em>, and when he is, it's to control Adrien, it's to use Adrien as a target for Akuma attacks.</p><p>"It's to endanger Adrien and make him miserable. The man can't even remember his only son's <em>birthday</em>, and makes Adrien feel horrible and alone just because Gabriel needed a new victim and decided Adrien's friends were convenient targets. Adrien deserves <em>better</em>. Kill him, Marinette. Let that <em>monster </em>stay dead." Throughout his speech, Plagg seemed to gain energy, presenting his case, growling and snarling out each of Gabriel's crimes, but as he got to the end, the little kwami was obviously losing steam, losing focus, losing strength. His last words were a plea, and then he was gone again, eyes slipping close and slumping over in unconsciousness.</p><p>Marinette caught him before he fell too far, and Chapalu stood on its hindlegs to <em>murr </em>worriedly, trying to nuzzle its head against Plagg where he was cradled in Marinette's hand.</p><p>Marinette looked back over at Gabriel's body, tracking her gaze over to Nathalie, who stared at her defiantly, and then down at Plagg lying on her palm.</p><p>Her mind was made up.</p><p>Carefully slipping Plagg bak into her pocket next to Dusuu, who had not stirred even once, Marinette sent a thought to Kitsune Blanc, who nodded, and brought her golden flute to her lips.</p><p>Playing a long, flowing melody, golden fire streamed out of Kitsune Blanc's flute and streamed over to the bound Nathalie, who screamed in terror.</p><p>Nathalie's scream of fear abruptly turned into an indignant squawk as the fire did not burn her, and instead bound her hands and feet in fiery, cold chains, allowing Marinette to withdrawal her yoyo without risking Mayura escaping.</p><p>Retrieving her new cane from its holster, Marinette pressed the cane and the yoyo together, sending the two Miraculous weapons a mental command: in a flash of pink and violet light, the two weapons fused together into a black and red flail.</p><p>Taking hold of her fused weapon, Marinette pressed the handle against her forehead and closed her eyes, concentrating with all of her might on her goal.</p><p>She had even come up with a name, now that she had gotten a glimpse of her fused suit's cape.</p><p>Opening her eyes and taking a deep breath, Marinette hurled her flail into the air. "<strong>Miraculous </strong><em><strong>Cinnabar!"</strong></em></p><p>And out of the Miraculous Cure streamed the familiar red and black Ladybugs, but now they had been joined by purple and white Butterflies. The wave of magical insects exploded into being overhead and a small swarm broke off from the main body, washing over those gathered in Kitsune Blanc's ring of fire, until nothing was visible but for the stream of magic.</p><p>All over the city, cries of fear went up at the strange sight, with many fearing that Hawkmoth had finally won; then those fears were put to rest as something even more Miraculous began to unfold.</p><p>Everywhere in the city, everywhere the Ladybugs and Butterflies streamed, buildings, old and worn, began to repair themselves, making themselves like new.</p><p>Rust melted away, cracks and potholes in the streets filled themselves in, trash and litter and recycling containers were suddenly empty, with fresh resources in their place.</p><p>Rotting and expired food was made fresh, and food cupboards and refrigerators were suddenly stocked full of fresh groceries and nonperishables. Houses had fresh coats of paint, and sturdier foundations, all appliances were now in brand new working order, clothing was now of the finest, sturdiest and comfortable materials.</p><p>Everyone suddenly found a large amount of cash in their pockets along shiny red cards that, when the balance was inqueried, showed that everyone in the city had instantly gained one hundred thousand dollars, not including the cash in their pockets.</p><p>Around the city, new structures arose with sheltered ledges and fresh, nutritious food, surrounded by lush native foliage and flowers, and the feral pigeon populations flocked to the new nesting sights, suddenly free of their parasites and diseases, their feathers shiny with health and their acidic, malnutritioned waste vanished from the rooftops.</p><p>Feral and outdoor cats were suddenly housed in a massive structure which internally reflected a forest, all of them now spayed, neutered, and cured of the various pests and diseases that had ravaged their populations.</p><p>They were all microchipped, and sensors in the chip would automatically transport them back to the structure if they were outside unattended by a human without a harness. They could only be removed by their 'owners' and automatically returned twice, and then they would become permanent residents if the humans continued to let them free roam. Walkways throughout the structure were available to the public for socialization, and all permanent residents were available for indoor-only adoption.</p><p>All of the native plants around the city gained new vigor, and invasive plants withered and dried into dust.</p><p>The Agreste Mansion's security walls and gates vanished without a trace, and in the secret basement, the endangered tibetan butterflies were transported back to their native range, and Emilie Agreste was spirited to the nearest hospital, now in a natural sleep rather than a magical coma.</p><p>The local public schools suddenly found their infrastructure improved and accessible, with the space expanded, their resources and learning materials increased, and their budget increased exponentially.</p><p>All of the original pieces in the Louvre and other more minor museums were replaced with exact replicas, and the authentic artifacts returned to their native lands.</p><p>Mortgages were suddenly paid off, and new structures rose into the skyline, perfectly furnished, full-size apartments with the keys to each appearing in the pockets of everyone in the city.</p><p>The strength of the new Cure was strongest in the center in the city, and that strength lasted until the city limits. The signal weakened past the borders, then faltered and failed a few miles outside of the city where there was nothing to transport from the city.</p><p>The new Cure did not cover the entire planet, it did not even cover all of France, since there was no magical damage to fix this time.</p><p>Practice makes perfect.</p><p>In Marinette's pocket, Plagg and Dusuu both woke up, energized and stable; <em>healed. </em>The crack on Dusuu's Miraculous had healed as though it had never been.</p><p>The bonds between kwami and Miraculous turned from that of slaver's chains to that of a favored necklace, easily shrugged off on a whim for every kwami in Master Fu's Miracle Box.</p><p>Chapalu's connection to the Ring and the Peacock Miraculous was severed, and its form given new life, so that it could live independently of the two Miraculous, and no one could force it to fight ever again.</p><p>And <em>another</em> connection was severed, one that Marinette had not even known was in effect when she commanded the new Cure to free everyone from the control of the Butterfly and Peacock Miraculouses.</p><p>Master Fu's Guardian Curse was lifted, the Orders imposed upon him so long ago as a child by the Grand Master lifted, free from the command of the organization that stole him from his home for the first time in a century.</p><p>Nathalie's eyes changed from peacock-blue to brown.</p><p>Taking a deep breath, Nathalie Sancouer breathed her first pain-free breath in months, and the first <em>free </em>breath in years as the curse on her mind was lifted, and she awoke as though from a deep sleep.</p><p>In the city limits of Paris, all of the people who had fallen ill in the last two weeks recovered instantly.</p><p>Everyone who received minor and major injuries in the last week had them healed perfectly.</p><p>Everyone who had died in the last twenty-four hours came back to life.</p><p>The new Miraculous Cure finished its work, and Marinette collapsed, her knees weak, with only Kitsune Blanc to steady her as the blood on the sidewalk vanished. Gabriel's shattered skull repaired itself and all traces of injury vanished. He went from being sprawled on the ground to lying neatly on his back, with his arms crossed over his chest, his eyes peaceful and shut.</p><p>Adrien Agreste slowly fluttered opened his eyes, and looked around in confusion as the last of the new Cure streamed over him and then to Marinette's body, returning some of her energy.</p><p>Adrien looked down at his father's body and his eyes widened.</p><p>Lunging forward, Adrien grabbed his father's shoulders and shook them, "Father? Father! No, please, you can't be dead! I can't lose you, too!" Tears streamed down the boy's eyes, now with no Ring to wield as a threat, Adrien was forced to confront his emotions.</p><p>"He's not dead."</p><p>Adrien's head snapped up to stare at Marinette as she approached.</p><p>Exhaustion weighed heavy on her bones, but Marinette knew she only had to remain transformed for a little while longer. Then she could go home, collapse into her bed, and sleep for a week straight. She hid the exhaustion she felt and was grateful for the little guardian foxes that still trotted at her heels, and for Chapalu who was now perched in her arms, purring steadily, sending reassuring vibrations through her ribcage with every breath she took.</p><p>"What? How? Wait⏤ Plagg!? Where⏤When⏤ <em>Why</em> did you take my Ring!?" Adrien demanded, finally seeming to notice his Miraculous was gone only when he spotted Plagg dancing over Marinette's head in loop-de-loops with a joyous Dusuu, the healed Peacock kwami's peals of laughter ringing throughout the square.</p><p>"Because you tried to kill me." Marinette said, "And not just here, just now, but you tried to kill me earlier, too. Or did you forget that you attacked me, because you had convinced yourself against every shred of evidence, that Sentibug was the real me, because she said she loved you, when I've told you every day for over a year now that I love someone else?" Marinette said, walking forward, clutching Chapalu close as she fought to control her anger now that the adrenaline high from the battle was no longer focusing her on the fight.</p><p>"Because you have never taken being a hero seriously. Because you have chosen, every day for months and months to disrespect me, to violate every boundary I ever set. Because I have had to put up with you trying to ask me out on dates every day for months even though you know my answer. Because I've had to deal with you <em>letting civilians die </em>because you would rather treat me like shit than help me defeat the villain when I don't show up for your stupid 'dates' that I already told you <em>NO FOR!" </em>Marinette snarled, feeling Chapalu tensing up in her arms at her sudden jump in volume.</p><p>"Because I have had to stand by and watch my friends and family <em>DIE </em>or be hurt horribly while you stand idly by without a care in the world for the civilians who you, YOU are actively endangering, but when I kill HAWKMOTH of ALL PEOPLE, you try to <em>kill me</em> for revenge, <em>and then you </em><em><strong>can't decide</strong></em> <em>between helping the villain or defeating them once and for all!" </em>Marinette screamed, "Because you would rather let everyone in Paris suffer the horrors of constant Akuma attacks if it means you can have your terrorist father back! Because you don't care about <em>anything</em>, LEAST of all me! All you care about is having fun and living out a fantasy where you're a charming knight in shining armor, come to sweep his lady off her feet, no matter how many people you have to hurt to keep that fantasy alive. If I hadn't gotten here in time today, Hawkmoth would have your Miraculous!"</p><p>Adrien opened his mouth to protest, hot defiance lighting up his aura in Marinette's mind, but she steamrolled over him before he could even attempt to defend his actions, "Do you know what Hawkmoth and Mayura could do if they had Plagg? If they had the Miraculous of <em>Destruction</em> at their disposal? Can you even begin to imagine the death and destruction they would have wreaked not just on Paris, but on the <em>world?"</em></p><p>Marinette whirled on Nathalie who was still bound on the ground. "What was your plan? What was Gabriel going to do, if he got the Black Cat Miraculous?"</p><p>Nathalie, still dazed, her now-brown eyes wide, answered quickly, honestly, her voice horrified and sickened, "He was going to threaten the school, after pulling Adrien out of class." Nathalie confessed, voice tight with disgust, "If he got the Black Cat first, he was going to threaten to Cataclysm all of the schools in Paris, he was going to <em>kill all of the children in Paris</em> unless their parents accepted Akumas to hunt you down."</p><p>Ice cold horror wove through Marinette's veins at the thought, and tears sprang to her eyes, even here, now, when triumph had won.</p><p>Adrien went pale as a sheet, staring at Nathalie, for the first time seeming to notice his father's assistance sitting there, with Mayura nowhere in sight.</p><p>"What would he have done if he got the Ladybug Miraculous first?" Kitsune Blanc questioned, withdrawing her fire without Marinette needing to say a word, walking over with her flute holstered to help the dazed assistant to her feet.</p><p>Nathalie accepted the hand up easily, but swayed on her feet, her eyes red with fresh tears, her face pale as she sobbed out the answer to Alya's question, leaning against Kitsune Blanc for support despite being the taller of the two.</p><p>"He was going to use the Lucky Charm power to create nuclear bombs, and he was going to hit all of the major cities and continents around the world until Chat Noir gave up his Ring, and then he would have used the Miraculous Cure to fix the damage again before he brought Emilie back."</p><p>Everyone stared, and Marinette had to clutch Chapalu tighter to fight off the urge to be sick as the horror of what Hawkmoth⏤ what <em>Gabriel Agreste</em>⏤ would have unleashed upon the world if he had ever gotten hold of her Miraculous washed over her, stealing her breath and ire at Chat Noir⏤ At <em>Adrien Agreste</em>⏤ away.</p><p>The growing cheers and screams of delight around the city, outside the wall of golden fire, seemed so out of place in the stillness of the circle as everyone digested exactly what Nathalie had just confessed.</p><p>The man turned infants into monsters, so why was this concept so much more horrifying?</p><p>Taking a deep breath to control the horror swimming in her veins and to block out the horror and disgust in the minds of everyone around her, Marinette tried to tap into the wonder and awe of the city at large as the effects of the new Cure started to sink it.</p><p>Turning back to Adrien Agreste, Marinette tamed her temper with effort, conscious of the flashing wings on Nooroo's Miraculous, even if they had not beeped their first warning yet. Now that she had used each of her powers, the fused Miraculous would start their countdown together: she had ten minutes.</p><p>"Regardless of all of the <em>other </em>reasons, Chat Noir, <em>Adrien Agreste</em>, you are no longer <em>needed</em> to wield the Black Cat Miraculous. The evil has been defeated. You have proven over and over again you are not ready to take on the responsibility of wielding a Miraculous, preferring to endanger the lives of innocents because you would rather goof off and <em>harass</em> your partner than take your sacred duty seriously. You will <em>never</em> wield another Miraculous again." Marinette intoned seriously.</p><p>"Your father is still alive only because you deserve the chance at having closure. The authorities will be notified, and you will be removed from his care. Your mother is at the hospital, she will be waking up soon, but we still do not know what kind of role she played in all of this. You deserve a happy life, Adrien. You deserve a family that loves you and treats you right. But you do not 'deserve' to keep your Miraculous, to keep <em>Plagg</em>, when you have shown again and again that you do nothing but abuse his power for your own gain and entertainment."</p><p>Adrien eyes, wide, still shocked, lit up at the mention of his mother, but his emotions quickly turned to anger again as she continued to speak. "That's not fair!" Adrien burst out, rising to his feet and sidestepping his father's unconscious body, "Why do you get to keep your Miraculous? And why are you trying to take Plagg away from me? He's my friend! We deserve to be together, we have a <em>bond</em>, you can't break that!" Adrien exclaimed hotly.</p><p>But before Marinette could answer, Plagg himself broke away from his dance with Dusuu and flew down to Adrien's level. "Kid," Plagg said sadly, "I'm going to miss you, I can't deny that, but I don't <em>want </em>to stay." Plagg said quietly, "As much fun as we've had together during the good times, I can't ignore the bad times, the times you hurt me, the times you abandoned me, the times you let people get hurt, and all of the times you hurt your partner, even when you weren't raising your hand against her.</p><p>"I can't stay, and I can't give you that power over people anymore. I <em>want </em>to go with Ladybug⏤ with Cinnabar. I <em>want </em>to be with the other kwami. I want to help people, not hurt them." Plagg said emphatically, leaning in so he could nuzzle Adrien's cheek. "I'm sorry kid, but this is what's best for everyone."</p><p>Adrien shook his head, tears streaming down his face, his entire world falling down around his ears. "No, you can't leave!" He pleaded again, but Plagg shook his head, and flew back to Dusuu's side, where the Peacock kwami was having a quiet, heartfelt conversation with Nathalie, who had lowered herself to sit on the ground, too overwhelmed with the situation and her new freedom to continue standing.</p><p>"Kitsune Blanc, are you ready?" Marinette asked outloud, and Kitsune Blanc, who had been scanning the skyline nodded and moved closer, holding out her golden flute. Marinette accepted the weapon and reached into its core with her mind, searching out the purple butterfly.</p><p>Finding the manifestation of her powers, Marinette gently withdrew the energy, and in a cascade of white wings, Kitsune Blanc's powers vanished, leaving Alya Césaire in her place once more.</p><p>Her glasses now pure white, Alya blinked and smiled in delight when she noticed the change, pulling them off of her face to squint at them, revealing a purple butterfly symbol at the ends of the arms.</p><p>"Babe! I got your text!" Nino Lahiffe called out, running in as the wall of golden fire collapsed. Nino had a bicycle helmet strapped on his head instead of his usual headphones, and was wearing a full black leather biker jacket on top of his band shirt. Elbow and knee pads were on each arm and leg, and a baseball bat was clutched in his hands, which he abandoned with a metallic clatter when he saw Alya was safe.</p><p>Charging in, Nino swept Alya off her feet, causing her to burst into delighted laughter when he nearly stumbled with the effort of lifting her. Nino blushed and straightened up, hugging her tightly before releasing her just enough to kiss her forehead. "I was worried, you know. I couldn't get past that wall of fire, but I got here as quickly as I could."</p><p>Noticing he had an audience finally, Nino glanced at Marinette and then did a double take.</p><p>"Woah, Ladybug, <em>dude</em>, love the new outfit!" Nino complimented, "Especially the wings in the cape! Nice!" His eyes tracked down to her arms and he blinked at the mini black and blue tiger perched there. "Cool cat! Wait, that's not Chat Noir is it? Where is he? Alya, you said Chat Noir was out of commission, is he a cat now!?"</p><p>Clearing her throat awkwardly, Alya tugged on Nino's arm as Adrien let out an aggrieved sound.</p><p>Nino started to move to Adrien's side, but Alya grabbed his hand and pulled him back, shaking her head when he looked at her quizzically, shocked at her actions.</p><p>"Don't. Leave him be for now." Alya said quietly, "There's a lot that you need to know. Ladybug⏤ I mean, Cinnabar, I've got it from here, okay? Go on, get out of here and transform back, you deserve a break before the rest of the media gets their act together. Go rest, and let me handle this okay? Trust me." Alya said.</p><p>And Marinette, exhausted, stressed, and at the end of her rope long before the battle began, nodded.</p><p>Turning away from the aftermath as the buzz of news helicopters began to drone closer, Marinette closed her eyes and concentrated.</p><p>Nino had mentioned wings in the cape on her back.</p><p>Smiling, Marintte flexed a mental muscle, and her senses extended to the material on her back, which lengthened and stiffened from fabric to <em>wings</em> in an instant.</p><p>Launching herself into the air, Marinette help Chapalu securely in her arms as Plagg and Dusuu joined her flight, soaring high into the sky, past the news helicopters and into the clouds, soaring for an eternity, feeling the wind whipping her hair back out of her face for just a moment of freedom, a moment of peace, here where gravity had no hold on her, where nothing tied her to the earth.</p><p>Then she tilted her head and allowed gravity to pull her down once more, back to earth, back to solid ground, back to her life.</p><p>Soaring through her trapdoor, Marinette collapsed onto her bed, whispered the phrase to divide her fused Miraculous, transformed back, and fell into unconsciousness before she could even greet Tikki and Nooroo.</p><p>The two kwami fell to the bed next to Marinette, but were quickly assisted by Plagg, Dusuu, and Chapalu. Dusuu fetched the plate of cookies Marinette's parents had placed on her desk and brought them over for Tikki and Nooroo to eat.</p><p>Cookies were not Nooroo's favorite food in the world, but anything tasted like heaven after only being given stale bread by Gabriel for over a year with no other options other than to starve. Nooroo devoured three cookies by the time Tikki had even finished her first.</p><p>Plagg and Dusuu gently maneuvered the mannequin out from under Marinette's covers where it had been disguised as her sleeping form to fool her parents, and tucked the comforter around Marinette, lifting her head slightly to slide the pillow under her, until she was in a more natural, comfortable position.</p><p>Then they sat together on Marinette's desk and came up with a plan to get Marinette's civilian life back on the right path. Marinette had saved the world, and she deserved whatever happiness she could get, surrounded by her friends.</p><p>One by one, Plagg, Dusuu, and Nooroo flew away, to different parts of the city, while Tikki stayed behind to watch over Marinette with Chapalu, who seemed glued to her side on the bed.</p><p>Plagg was flying to the Mayor's office.</p><p>Dusuu was flying to the hospital Emilie had been transferred to.</p><p>And Nooroo was flying to first to Master Fu's home, and then to the home of one Lila Rossi.</p><p>As the kwami of transmission, of <em>communication</em>, and <em>emotion</em>, Nooroo was the best kwami for the job.</p><p>Because Adrien deserved better than to be forced to live with his neglectful, emotionally abusive father.</p><p>And Lila Rossi deserved better than to be dragged around the world and abandoned by her neglectful mother, never in one place long enough to call it home.</p><p>Those apartment keys that had appeared in everyone's pockets would come to good use.</p><p>Paris had been transformed into a utopia, but that didn't mean all was right in the world. There was still work to do. Still people to save and hearts to heal.</p><p>But that could come later, in the morning.</p><p>"Sleep tight, Marinette." Tikki whispered, and then Tikki too, closed her eyes and slipped into sleep, curling up next to her Chosen, the first one Tikki had the power to <em>Choose </em>in over three thousand years, since the very first Miracle Box had been built by the Guardians.</p><p>All might not be right in the world, not just yet, but for Tikki, this moment of happiness, of freedom, of <em>peace</em> was enough for now.</p>
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